Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 733 - 697: The Vigilantly Defended Yizhou Army
"Our army is obviously being blocked now, and whether the strategic objective is problematic is not important. We have already occupied a lot of land, are we supposed to just give up?" Zheng Du said dissatisfiedly.
"Our army should be attacking Hanzhong, not dawdling here!" Zhang Song stared at Zheng Du and said, "Furthermore, by forming an alliance with Lord Xuande and rooting out Yuan Shu, we can once again restore the initial situation where the three administrators tightly controlled the Yangtze River. With the three families watching over each other, as long as we three stand, the Han Dynasty will not fall!"
Zheng Du choked on his words; he wanted to curse at that moment. He had never taken the Han Dynasty seriously, he was simply a minister serving Liu Zhang to seek profits—what did he care about the Han Dynasty? As for Zhang Song's statement about mutual vigilance ensuring the Han Dynasty's survival, who would believe that?
Zheng Du's Spiritual Talent, to put it plainly, was Mingli—rational understanding. This Spiritual Talent, in terms of effect, was extremely powerful; it essentially meant seeing through the essence of matters. Simply put, Zheng Du could clearly see through situations uninfluenced by human emotions. Naturally, with such a useful Spiritual Talent, he could pinpoint the crux of most strategies.
Of course, speaking of Zheng Du's Spiritual Talent, one can't neglect to mention Fa Zheng's Spiritual Talent, which was actually Enlightened Heart. If these two were to compete, even if Zheng Du had a "Golden Finger," he would be utterly defeated by Fa Zheng, the reason being that Fa Zheng completely trumps Zheng Du in this regard.
With such a Spiritual Talent, Zheng Du understood very clearly that what mattered now was not the attack on Hanzhong, but rather the territories that had been seized behind the scenes. Some things cannot be simply abandoned at the mention of it—if you hadn't gotten involved, then perhaps, but once you've gotten involved, there's no way you can just give up.
Zhang Song also saw the expression on Zheng Du's face as he forcibly kept silent, feeling somewhat embarrassed himself. These words were basically what he used to fool Liu Zhang. To say them now, in this situation, facing the other three—Yan Yan might not see through them, but neither Zheng Du nor Liu Ba were easy-to-fool characters; how could they possibly believe?
With such a comment, Zhang Song, Zheng Du, and Liu Ba were all left speechless. Yan Yan, seizing the opportunity, coughed twice and cleared his throat, "Ahem, ahem, I think, look, we've fought to this extent, it's impossible to talk about giving up. Of course, what Assistant Officer Zhang says has merit, and what Zichu proposes is also correct. Perhaps we should do this—let's wait and see, and send someone to make contact."
Yan Yan was clearly trying to smooth things over, which was unavoidable given the situation. The three individuals before him were not to be underestimated. Aside from Yan Yan's own formidable combat power, his journey had been smooth sailing largely thanks to the other three's exceptional abilities.
"Alright then, I'll go and see if I can talk to some nearby barbarians, see if they can lend us some troops or something," Liu Ba said helplessly. He had noticed that his presence was the least felt among the three of them. It couldn't be helped—his Spiritual Talent was not at an advantage, it was entirely meant for internal development.
"Let's do that. Zizhong, you fight. I'll see if I can get in touch with Lord Xuande and initiate a union of three families to obliterate Yuan," Zhang Song said irritably, realizing that he was no match for the ruthless Zheng Du when it came to war. His Spiritual Talent leaned more towards strategy and seemingly lacked the ferocity of Zheng Du's.
After the two somewhat hot-headed individuals left, Zheng Du began discussing with Yan Yan how to deal with Sun Ce. Compared to Liu Ba's conservative approach, Zheng Du's strategies were much bolder, relying on the currently high morale of his own forces to prepare for a battle that would severely undermine the sharpness of Sun Ce's army.
"A head-on clash?" Yan Yan frowned upon hearing Zheng Du's suggestion, "What kind of strategy is that? Even if we've won many battles, I have no intention of underestimating the enemy. Having been a general for so many years, I've become much more cautious than the younger folks."
"We fight an initial battle with the enemy to determine the similarities and differences between this troop and the ones we've faced before. If they're exactly the same, then it will naturally be decided in one battle. If they're truly formidable, our army will also be prepared," Zheng Du said seriously.
Upon learning that the approaching reinforcements were led by Sun Ce, Zheng Du knew that their strength was nothing but formidable. This was Yuan Shu's prepared successor; the previous one had already died due to lax protection, so it would be odd if they weren't extra cautious this time.
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However, Zheng Du wanted to engage in battle to see how strong the opponent truly was before he could make further plans. He felt uneasy not knowing the extent of the enemy's strength, despite his Spiritual Talent allowing him to discern the truth from the intelligence gathered, such as how fierce the "Little Overlord" Sun Ce really was.
"There's no need for that, a direct confrontation would be too costly, the losses from one major battle could exceed all our casualties from the prolonged fighting," said Yan Yan with dissatisfaction, valuing the lives of his soldiers very much.
"We surely can't resort to a night raid," sighed Zheng Du, deliberately setting a trap for Yan Yan to fall into.
"That is an excellent idea, even if it won't result in a significant victory, administering a warning strike to the enemy would be beneficial," Yan Yan spoke with authority.
"The enemy will be prepared, after all, they are Yuan Shu's chosen successor's forces. Their vigilance is not to be underestimated, completely different from any enemy we faced before," Zheng Du shook his head, "But since the general is reluctant, perhaps we should first capture Badong and wait at ease for their move."
Following Zheng Du's advice, Yan Yan set off for Badong and quickly seized it. By the time Sun Ce arrived in the vicinity of Badong, Yan Yan had already secured the checkpoints and passes, fortified Tigu, and prepared to closely observe Sun Ce's combat power.
As for the treacherous tactics of the Yizhou Army, Pang Tong found himself at a loss. Not only did they have a numerical advantage, but they were also entrenched in defense, showing none of the pride of the victorious.
"The front camp reports that the Yizhou Army is challenging us, General Sunx has already charged out," a messenger shouted as he rushed into Pang Tong's tent.
"What?" Pang Tong was alarmed and immediately rode out of the camp, afraid that Sun Ce might accidentally fall into an ambush.
Upon arriving in Jingzhou, what Pang Tong felt most fortunate about was that Yuan Shu's generals respected Sun Ce greatly. At least Sun Ce could maneuver them without any constraint, which was good news. But respect for Sun Ce did not necessarily extend to him.
However, when Pang Tong rushed out, he found that Sun Ce hadn't led the army in pursuit but was instead wielding his Great Spear, dueling with an elderly general who seemed to be around fifty years old. The two men, one gold and one fire, both fought fiercely and powerfully. Yet, clearly Sun Ce, due to his younger age, was not quite a match for his opponent in strength.
[This must be the enemy's Chief General Yan Yan, indeed his strength is incredible. Within my lord's command, perhaps only Zhou Youping in Shouchun could be certain to defeat him. This man commands his troops strictly and acts as a cautious general, with three advisers to boot, truly troublesome!] Pang Tong frowned, keeping his eyes on Yan Yan. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on with your recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
